History of the institute

Professor Fritz Süchting had held the Chair of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering since 1912. "What Professor Süchting found when he took up his post was an empty room in the main building and a small fund that was almost exhausted. [...] The first inventory was a steam engine packed in a large wooden box". He worked to ensure that practical training could take place in large laboratories. According to Süchting, these were intended to "make what was heard in the lectures [...] a living possession". In 1929, the prestigious new building of the institute, which was later named after him, was occupied. Between taking office and this well-equipped building lay the First World War and Professor Süchting's far-reaching efforts.

The institute initially focused on the functioning of mining and metallurgical machinery. From the mid-1930s, "Electricity in Mining" was included in the curriculum.

Professor Bechtold, who had continued to run the institute after Professor Süchting's retirement in 1938, was killed in an air raid in the Ruhr area in October 1944. He had established numerous contacts with industry, which meant that the institute was involved in solving current problems. Due to the tense situation in the Ruhr area, a department of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Iron Research was evacuated from Düsseldorf to Clausthal in the summer of 1944.

From Professor Bechtold's death until the end of the war, Professor Birckenbach was the provisional director of the institute. During the American occupation of Clausthal from April 13 to the end of May 1945, the lecture hall was used as an auxiliary hospital.

From April 1, 1946, Dr.-Ing. Kienast and Dipl.-Ing. Gloeckner took over the provisional management of the institute. Professor Engel was appointed to the chair on April 20, 1948.

In addition to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering also became increasingly important in the post-war period. This profile was finally reflected in the founding of the Institute of Electrical Engineering in 1960, which was also strengthened by the mechanical engineering course.

Professor Dietz, who took over the institute from Professor Kuske in 1980 (after interim management by Prof. Torke), focused on modern design theory in mechanical engineering.

Source: Engel, Ludolf: Das Fritz-Süchting-Institut für Maschinenkunde und Elektrotechnik, in: Festschrift zur 175-Jahrfeier der Bergakademie Clausthal 1775-1950, Clausthal-Zellerfeld 1950, pp. 184-194.